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Quiet Man fans can sup a stout in the film’s pub

By Senan Hogan
Monday, 25 August 2008

Cohan?s bar ahs been painstakingly recreated in Cong, Co Mayo, using stills from the classic 1952 movie.

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A replica of the original pub that featured in The Quiet Man film has been built by fans in Co Mayo.

Pat Cohan’s in Cong was actually a shop in real life but Hollywood director John Ford converted it into a bar for the Oscar-winning 1952 movie starring John Wayne.

Locals painstakingly studied stills of scenes featuring the bar and carefully assembled a replica with all the fittings, fixtures and ornaments of the time.

Antique shops across the country were scoured for stainless steel ale mugs, trinkets and old-style advertising posters.

The pub is owned by John Connolly, whose uncle Jack Murphy was an extra in the film, shot in scenic locations in Co Mayo and Co Galway.

The bar hosts daily re-runs of the film DVD, and is situated beside a souvenir shop.

Mr Connolly said: “Tourists, especially Americans, who came to see where the film was shot were always disappointed when they heard the pub didn’t actually exist in real life.

“Now they will be able to have a drink just like John Wayne did in the film or browse the souvenirs,” he added.

The Quiet Man tells the story of US prize-fighter Jack Thornton (Wayne) who returns to his roots in Ireland and falls in love with the fiery redhead, Mary Kate Danaher, played by Irish actress Maureen O’Hara.

To mark the official opening on September 17, the pub wants to run a look-alike competition, of the Michaeleen character, played by Barry Fitzgerald.

Michaeleen is the pipe-smoking matchmaker who brings Wayne and O’Hara together and spends most of the film supping stout in Pat Cohan’s.

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The film depicts a sure lush beauty of Ireland in the 1930's.
Galway and Mayo are to this day, still worth a visit.

Posted by Damian Flynn | 19.09.09, 22:03 GMT

I was just there & it is so very lovely~ My great grandparents were Connolly....any relation I wonder?

Posted by Mik | 29.08.08, 00:02 GMT

Got to agree with Blake, John Wayne was called Sean Thorton in the movie. We have been enjoying that movie for years. Fact is the wife just purchased the redigitalized version.

Posted by McRee | 28.08.08, 12:12 GMT

Hi,
I come from a little village on the South Armagh border called Mullaghbawn.
My Dad ,who was 80 on July 14th has just announced to me that it's his ambition to sing the song "The Isle Of Inisfree" ,his favoutite in Pat Cohan's pub in Cobh!!He is a pretty good tenor and many say was born 20 yrs too early and did'nt have the opurtunity to advance his singing career.Mum died at the age of 33 in 1969 and Dad reared 3 of us with only limited help.Then my sister spent 4 years fighting critical illness and survived to become a nursing sister.In 1973 our house was blown up accidentally as we lived beside a local RUC station and both I and she were in it. We were then rehoused 3 miles away and this made things more difficult as Dad's family were not at hand.He managed as did we and he has "died" twice earlier this year but refuses to "give up" hence when he said about singing in Mayo I thought I'd tell all!

Posted by Evelyn Campbell | 26.08.08, 21:18 GMT

The Quiet Man is one of my all time favourite John Wayne movies. I have watched it so many times I think I would recite every characters lines. Funnily enough I always thought it was an actual pub, and laugh every time the horse and Michaeleen O'Flynn stops there no matter what!

Posted by Valerie | 26.08.08, 15:09 GMT